A software scan of my four-year-old PC indicated 700-plus “registry errors”. What does this mean?
AL, Newport, Gwent
The registry is a database used by Windows to track what programs you have and where they’re installed, the details of your PC’s hardware and much more besides. Errors inevitably enter the registry as software is removed and configurations change, so it’s good practice regularly to scan for errors and fix them.
I don’t know what software you used for your scan but I recommend CCleaner, a free program from Piriform. You can download it at tinyurl.com/y9d9x5k. There’s no need to pay for the “priority” and “business support” versions, and beware of some similarly named imitations, which may ask for money after running a scan. The genuine version will not do this.
Run CCleaner, select the “registry” option on the left of the screen, allow the software to back up the old registry (so it can restore it if something goes wrong) and then leave it to fix the errors. Tony Smith
I plan to sell my old Mac. Is there any free software I can use to wipe the hard disk securely?
PK, London
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If you still have your Mac’s installation disk, boot from it by placing it in the drive and restarting the computer while holding down the “C” key. Once the machine has started, choose Disk Utility from the Utilities menu, select the whole drive and choose Erase. One pass ought to be enough — unless you fear the new owner may work for a government intelligence agency, in which case choose three passes.
If you no longer have the disk, you could connect your computer to another Mac with a FireWire cable. (These cost just a few pounds on Amazon.) Put the Mac in “Firewire target disk mode” by booting it while holding down the “T” key. Its hard disk will now appear as an external disk on the other Mac’s desktop and you can erase it using the technique described above. Make sure you don’t wipe the wrong hard disk.
Both these methods will also erase the Mac’s operating system, so either include the system disks with the computer when you sell it or let the buyer know that he or she will need to provide software. Malcolm Pack
Email your tech queries to dontpanic@sunday-times.co.uk